Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Kafr El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Kafr El Sheikh: $356 a month against $1,519 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Istanbul, Turkey
Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt
Istanbul
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,519
/mo nomad
Kafr El Sheikh
🇪🇬 Egypt
$356
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Kafr El Sheikh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Kafr El Sheikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Istanbul vs $356 in Kafr El Sheikh, rent included.

  • Istanbul $1,519
  • Kafr El Sheikh $356

A couple spends around $2,365 per month in Istanbul vs $583 in Kafr El Sheikh, rent included.

  • Istanbul $2,365
  • Kafr El Sheikh $583

A family of three spends $3,212 per month in Istanbul vs $810 in Kafr El Sheikh, rent included.

  • Istanbul $3,212
  • Kafr El Sheikh $810

Istanbul costs about 326% more than Kafr El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 12% above the global median, while Kafr El Sheikh is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.81 ₺592
$4.22 E£227
179.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ₺2,754
$14.50 E£780
278.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.26 ₺465
$4.19 E£225
121.00%
Cappuccino
$4.30 ₺216
$1.14 E£61.5
277.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₺89.0
$0.33 E£17.96
436.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₺28.32
$0.13 E£7.09
330.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.69 ₺235
$1.48 E£79.6
216.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.12 ₺357
$1.15 E£61.6
519.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ₺62.7
$0.74 E£39.92
68.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₺44.17
$0.53 E£28.63
66.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 ₺111
$0.62 E£33.49
254.84%
Eggs
$2.43 ₺122
$1.21 E£65.0
100.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.48 ₺526
$2.93 E£158
257.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 ₺267
$3.56 E£191
49.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 ₺1,058
$7.77 E£418
171.56%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ₺93.1
$1.47 E£79.0
26.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 ₺115
$0.51 E£27.26
350.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 ₺61.0
$0.47 E£25.37
159.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 ₺90.2
$0.20 E£10.74
800.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.69 ₺34.83
$0.29 E£15.54
137.93%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₺32.16
$0.34 E£18.42
88.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₺68.0
$0.20 E£10.73
580.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₺28.94
$0.19 E£10.06
205.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 ₺117
$1.93 E£104
21.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.03 ₺653
$5.21 E£280
150.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 ₺118
$1.22 E£65.6
93.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ₺166
$1.86 E£100
78.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 ₺44.07
$0.13 E£6.76
576.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 ₺3,316
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ₺64.4
$0.37 E£20.06
245.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.85 ₺42.80
$0.26 E£13.85
226.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.09 ₺556
$0.89 E£48.08
1146.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 ₺74.0
$0.44 E£23.44
236.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K ₺2.4M
$31.0K E£1.7M
57.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.0K ₺2.1M
$25.1K E£1.3M
67.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.7 ₺4,650
$12.71 E£683
629.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.20 ₺562
$7.26 E£391
54.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.89 ₺797
$9.78 E£526
62.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 ₺3,745
$8.64 E£464
764.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.95 ₺1,151
$3.52 E£190
551.99%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 ₺404
$4.10 E£221
96.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$948 ₺47.6K
$94.4 E£5,076
904.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.9K ₺1.9M
$2,242 E£120.6K
1546.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₺2,702
$8.95 E£481
502.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.49 ₺2,081
$31.50 E£1,694
31.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 ₺5,060
$89.9 E£4,831
12.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.3 ₺4,580
$18.11 E£974
404.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 ₺50.8K
$121 E£6,496
738.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₺31.3K
$61.2 E£3,290
920.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 ₺100.6K
$202 E£10.9K
892.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,126 ₺56.5K
$118 E£6,326
857.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,988 ₺149.8K
$762 E£41.0K
292.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,730 ₺86.8K
$350 E£18.8K
394.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Istanbul
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,136 ₺57.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
40.42
22.5
79.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kafr El Sheikh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Istanbul
$625
Kafr El Sheikh
$61 90.2% $563
Groceries & Markets
Istanbul
$258
Kafr El Sheikh
$108 58.2% $150
Eating Out
Istanbul
$221
Kafr El Sheikh
$72 67.6% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Istanbul
$129
Kafr El Sheikh
$67 48.4% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Istanbul
$120
Kafr El Sheikh
$30 75.2% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Istanbul
$91
Kafr El Sheikh
$17 81.4% $74
Getting Around
Istanbul
$75
Kafr El Sheikh
$2.2 * 97.1% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Istanbul versus $121 in Kafr El Sheikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul versus $15 in Kafr El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $108 – making Kafr El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Istanbul
🇪🇬 Kafr El Sheikh
🕒 Local time
01:01 1:01 AM
00:01 12:01 AM
1 h behind Istanbul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,701,602
194,569
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.05 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.09 EGP (100 EGP = 1.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Istanbul Kafr El Sheikh 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Istanbul
  • Kafr El Sheikh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Istanbul vs Kafr El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kafr El Sheikh cheaper than Istanbul?
Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 326%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Istanbul and $535 in Kafr El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kafr El Sheikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $1,014 in Istanbul.
Is eating out cheaper in Istanbul or in Kafr El Sheikh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Istanbul and $15 in Kafr El Sheikh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Istanbul and in Kafr El Sheikh?
Groceries cost about 139% more in Istanbul, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Istanbul or in Kafr El Sheikh?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kafr El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $356, than in Istanbul at $1,519. In Kafr El Sheikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Istanbul or Kafr El Sheikh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kafr El Sheikh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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